We are the Dead
by CaptainSwanistheShit
Summary: CS Zombie Apocalypse AU: When Killian and Emma are sent on a supply run that might save the lives of everyone at their camp they are determined not to screw it up. However, a seemingly simple expedition quickly becomes complicated when the unthinkable happens. With Killian's life in the balance, Emma is faced with the unbearable possibility of losing the one person she has left.
1. Part 1

**I got bored so I wrote a thing. It was originally going to be a oneshot, but I got carried away so it'll probably be about three parts. Oh, and all the zombie apocalypse stuff in this is inspired by The Walking Dead (I use the term 'walker' a lot). Let me know what you think! I'll probably get the next two parts up pretty soon since I don't have school a lot next week!**

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><p><strong>We are the Dead: Part 1<strong>

_Follow the old footpath that leads from camp to the main road, walk half a mile, take a left into town, cross the railroad tracks, walk straight on Cherry Street until you see the clinic… _

Emma went over and over the directions Regina had given her in her head so as not to forget them. This was an important job and she couldn't afford to get them lost.

"Killian, can I see the map?" she asked her partner over her shoulder.

"Gotten us lost already, Swan?" he asked teasingly as he handed her the crinkly piece of folded paper.

"No, I'm trying to prevent that from happening," she rolled her eyes as she unfolded the map and determined where they were. "We should almost be to the main road."

"I'm inclined to agree," Killian said, pointing ahead.

Emma followed his finger and could see a break in the trees and the black color of the road.

"Well come on," he said, urging her to move quicker as he walked ahead. "You heard Regina, the longer we go without this medicine the more lives will be lost."

"I know, just be cautious. There's bound to be a few walkers on the road when we get closer to town," she warned.

Killian nodded and pulled his gun from its holster before taking the first step onto the asphalt. He took a good look around before turning back to Emma and jerking his head for her to join him.

"Coast is clear."

Emma followed him and un-holstered her own gun, just to be safe. Keeping their eyes peeled for any form of movement up ahead or along the edge of the forest, they began their trek towards town. The first few minutes were filled with nothing but the sound of cicadas and the occasional rustling of leaves as a summer breeze drifted lazily by, but Emma knew it wouldn't last. She had known Killian long enough to know that he hated long periods of silence which most definitely had to do with the fact that he hated feeling alone. A likely result of losing his entire family in a tragic car accident at the young age of eleven.

_Eleven_.

The number echoed mockingly through Emma's thoughts and she found herself having to squeeze her eyes shut to prevent tears from forming. She couldn't let her emotions get the best of her right now. She had a vital job to do. There could be no distractions.

"Swan?" Killian said softly when he noticed her state. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she assured him without as much as a sideways glance. Not that she needed to look at him to know he wasn't buying it.

"You look tired. Have you been sleeping?" he asked.

Emma laughed bitterly.

"Have you?"

He pressed his lips into a thin line and looked away from her, giving her her answer. Emma sighed and continued scanning the road ahead.

"You've been asking for more night watches," she stated knowingly. "Why?"

"If I can't sleep I may as well do something useful," he shrugged.

"Yeah, and how useful do you think you'll be when you collapse from exhaustion?" she asked. "You can't guard the fence when you're dead on your feet."

"Speak for yourself," he muttered.

"At least I _try_ to sleep," she told him.

He fell silent and continued scanning the tree line.

Emma sighed.

"It's the nightmares, right?"

"Nightmares?" Killian said with a laugh. "Swan, we're living a bloody nightmare. If I were afraid of nightmares then I wouldn't have made it this far."

"So what is it then?" she asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe I'll figure it out someday."

Emma huffed, knowing she wouldn't get any more out of him. She shook her head to clear it of her frustrations and tried to focus. She _needed_ to focus.

They remained silent until they reached the side road that would lead them into town.

"Stay alert," she ordered. "We'll likely start running into walkers soon."

"You know Sheriff, this isn't my first rodeo," Killian grumbled.

Emma rolled her eyes and gave him a look.

"I'm not a sheriff anymore," she reminded him.

"And I'm no longer your deputy," he replied as he moved ahead of her. "So please, stop treating me like I am."

She paused and watched him as he continued on, the buildings of the town they were headed to rising in the distance. She did have a tendency to boss him around, but given their history it wasn't all that surprising.

"Emma?" Killian called from up ahead when he realized she'd stopped. "You coming, love?"

"Yeah," she replied before jogging over to join him.

"You sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, let's go," she snapped before continuing on.

As they made their way into town Emma was sure to keep a sharp eye out for any movement. Surprisingly they hadn't come across a single walker yet.

"Suspiciously quiet, wouldn't you say?" Killian said as though he had just read her mind.

"Yeah," she agreed as they crossed the railroad tracks that ran through the middle of town. "Keep an eye out for Cherry Street. That's where the clinic is."

"Hope it hasn't been cleaned out," he said grimly.

"Regina said we're the only camp within ten miles of here so there isn't exactly much competition for looting," Emma told him.

"What does that matter? By the looks of it this town is far from untouched. It's likely people swept through here when the virus first broke out. And even if that didn't happen there's always the nomadic groups that go from place to place, taking whatever they can find," he replied. "I hate to be a pessimist but I think we'll be lucky to find any medicine at all, much less the kind we need."

Emma was about to respond when a loud crash came from within a hardware store they were passing by. She and Killian immediately had their guns at the ready as the shuffling sound of footsteps inside the store grew closer.

"It only sounds like one or two," she said, holstering her gun and unsheathing her survival knife.

"Let's just leave 'em," Killian suggested. "Regina said no unnecessary risks, remember?"

"Not taking care of them would be an unnecessary risk since they clearly know we're here," Emma said as she moved to the wall just next to the entrance of the hardware store to wait for the walkers to come out. The footsteps grew closer and when she could hear them just inside the door she raised her knife and prepared to attack.

_Three… two… one…_

"Emma, don't!" Killian suddenly shouted as she thrust her knife forward, missing the walker completely when it suddenly dodged her blow. The next thing she knew she had been knocked to the ground with a machete pressed against her throat, a buff, angry man towering over her.

"Hey!" Emma heard the sound of Killian's gun cocking, but she dared not take her eyes off her aggressor.

"Make any sudden moves and I swear I'll slit your throat," he threatened. She felt her heart jump in her chest as the possibility of her demise increased significantly.

"David, don't," the small, frightened voice of a woman whom Emma couldn't see came from the doorway of the hardware store.

"She tried to kill me," David growled as he glared down at her, pressing the blade firmly against her throat so that she could barely breathe.

"I thought you were a walker," Emma said cautiously. "I'm sorry."

Surprisingly enough she saw David's glare soften slightly and felt him relieve some of the pressure against her throat.

At this point Killian had come to Emma's aid and was aiming his gun directly at David's head.

"On your feet, mate," he ordered. "Try anything funny and I'll shoot."

David looked up at Killian before hesitantly pulling the machete away from her throat and picking himself up off of her. He put his hands up in a nonthreatening fashion as he backed away from her. Killian kept his gun trained on him while Emma got to her feet and retreated to his side.

"Who the hell are you?" Killian asked.

"My name is Mary Margaret and this is David," the woman with dark, short hair who Emma had heard speak earlier replied.

"Mary Margaret," David quietly scolded her. "Don't answer any of their questions. We have no idea who they are."

"We're not trying to cause any trouble," Emma assured them. "We just want to know who you are, where you came from, and if there are any more of you."

"Oh, is that all?" David scoffed.

"We're a little wary of strangers," Killian told him. "Let's just say we haven't had the best experiences with people we don't know."

"That's completely understandable," Mary Margaret said anxiously. "Look, we were just looking around, we didn't think this place was claimed…"

"It's not claimed," Emma told her. "We're just passing through."

"You two on your own, or are there more of you?" Killian asked.

"It's just us," David assured them.

Emma looked him in the eye and could see that he was telling the truth. She looked at Killian and nodded.

"We used to have a camp, but it was overrun a few months back," Mary Margaret explained. "We're the only ones we know of that got away."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Emma said apologetically.

Mary Margaret and David exchanged a brief look.

"Do…do you have a camp somewhere?" Mary Margaret stuttered.

Emma glanced at Killian, hesitant to tell these two people they'd just met anything about their current living situation. Regina had been very clear when they'd joined her camp that she was the only one allowed to determine whether or not new people would be allowed in. If they were to tell them about the camp and brought them back, there was no way they would be able to insure they'd be allowed to stay, and Emma didn't want to put them through that. Giving them false hope would be worse than giving them no hope at all.

When a few moments had passed and neither Killian nor Emma had answered her Mary Margaret began to plead.

"Please, we're desperate."

"We've been looking for a safe place for the past month," David chimed in.

Emma watched Mary Margaret closely, taking notice of her hand as it instinctively moved to her stomach. She put the pieces together almost instantly.

"You're pregnant?" Emma said questioningly.

The short haired woman nodded and looked down.

"We only just found out a few weeks ago. Of course there's no way to know for sure how far along I am. That's why we're trying to find a safe camp that might be willing to take us in."

Emma closed her eyes and sighed. She had briefly considered bringing them back, but if this woman was pregnant that changed things. A baby was a huge liability. Their camp was secure, but it was not equipped to take on a newborn. It would be a lot of work just to keep it alive, and even then the inevitable crying would attract any walkers that were nearby and jeopardize the lives of everyone there. Regina would never allow this.

"I'm sorry about your situation," Emma began, "but I'm afraid…"

"…that our camp isn't exactly a safe haven. Not at the moment anyway," Killian finished for her.

She turned to him and felt her mouth fall open. What the hell was he doing?

"You do have a camp?" David asked in relief.

"Yes, but I'm afraid we're suffering from a rather terrible outbreak of the flu," Killian told him. "Six have died so far, which is why Emma and I are here. We're looking for medicine."

"Are you taking people in?" Mary Margaret asked hopefully.

"It's not our decision," Emma cut in.

"Well, I used to volunteer at hospital, maybe I could help with the outbreak?" Mary Margaret offered. "And David is a great shot and a good hunter too. We could be useful."

"What if you get sick?" Emma asked. "You could lose your baby and no one deserves that."

She felt Killian's eyes on her when her voice wavered slightly. She did her best to ignore him.

"I'll lose it if we don't find a safe place," Mary Margaret told her. "Please, take us with you."

"Look, I'm sorry but-"

"Emma," Killian cut her off and grabbed her arm. "A word?"

He nodded to Mary Margaret and David before pulling her away from them.

"What are you doing?" he asked once they'd reached a safe distance.

"Me? You're the one trying to take two strangers back to camp with us!" she exclaimed quietly.

"She's pregnant, Emma, we can't just leave them to fend for themselves."

"Killian, a baby is a liability," she told him. "Newborns cry. A lot. Crying is noise, noise attracts walkers. Do I have to spell this out for you?"

"I understand the risk but look around," he said with a sweeping gesture. "It's the end of the world. How many of us do you think there will be in a year? In two years? We're a dying breed, and we need all the help we can get."

"Endangering the lives of everyone back at camp because you want to repopulate the world is only going to end up with more people dying," she snapped.

Killian took a step back from her, shaking his head.

"I swear I don't know who you are anymore."

"Maybe you don't," she sighed.

He turned back towards Mary Margaret and David, but paused before walking back over.

"I'm going to tell them they can come with us," he said over his shoulder. "They're good people, and I know you can at least see that."

"Regina won't like this," she replied. "She'll never let them stay."

"Yes she will," he told her.

"What makes you so sure?" Emma asked.

"Because she still has a shred of sympathy left," Killian said before walking back over to them.

She remained where she was, suffering a little from his words. It was a low blow and he absolutely knew that, but at the same time she knew he was right. The apocalypse at hardened her, but it was because of that that she had survived. Why couldn't he see that?

"Swan!" Killian suddenly called to her. "We should really find that medicine."

"Coming," she called back before heading over to join them. The four of them began walking, following Mary Margaret and David's instructions to Cherry Street which they had passed on their way into town.

"Are you sure we can trust them," Emma whispered to him as they walked.

"Yes," he nodded, reaching out with his left hand and placing it on her shoulder. "We're doing the right thing you know."

"I sure as hell hope so," Emma muttered to herself as David pointed out the sign for Cherry Street.

**XXXXXX**

Killian peered through the dusty window of the clinic in search of any form of movement.

"It looks clear," he announced.

"Weird," Emma commented. "We haven't seen a single walker on this entire run."

"Well then, let's count our lucky stars and hope we can find the medicine we need."

"Alright, just watch your back," she warned. "Just because it looks clear doesn't mean it is."

"I know," he nodded.

"Okay, let's make this quick. I'm going to take Mary Margaret to find the medicine. You and David go find any basic supplies you can. Gauze, disinfectant ointment, bandages…" she trailed off.

"Yes ma'am," Killian saluted her and she rolled her eyes.

They entered the clinic through the front door, guns at the ready as the paused and listened. When they were met with silence Emma gestured for Mary Margaret to follow her towards the back of the clinic where the medications were kept while Killian and David went in search of supplies.

They turned down a hallway and came upon what looked like a supply closet. Killian knocked on the door and then pressed his ear against it, listening. When he didn't hear anything he turned to David.

"It sounds empty," he told him. "Be ready though."

David nodded and held his machete firmly as Killian counted down from three. After 'one' he threw the door open and allowed David to go in first.

"It's clear," he said.

Killian walked in after him and looked around with a grin on his face.

"Holy shit," he muttered, taking in the abundance of medical supplies.

"Yeah," David smiled, picking up a package of bandages. "This whole room looks untouched."

"I'm honestly surprised," Killian laughed. "Start gathering as much as you can. We might have to make another trip back for the rest."

David nodded and began clearing off shelves, throwing everything into the sack Emma had given him.

"So," he said after a period of silence, "how long have you and Emma known each other?"

Killian glanced at him suspiciously out of the corner of his eye as he grabbed a few boxes of disposable gloves.

"Just trying to make small talk," David shrugged.

"I've known her since before," Killian eventually told him. "We worked together."

"Doing what?"

"She was the sheriff of a small town, I was one of her deputies."

"And are you two…" David trailed off.

"Together?" Killian finished for him. "No, just old friends."

"Ah," David nodded.

They fell into an awkward silence as they continued loading their bags with everything they could carry.

"You know, I sort of feel like she didn't want me and Mary Margaret to come along," David said nonchalantly.

"She didn't," Killian said truthfully.

"Oh," David said, surprised by his honesty. "Well, I appreciate you convincing her."

"No problem," Killian said, deciding not to tell him that he was pretty sure that Emma was still anything but convinced. "I know she can come off as… cold, but she's not so bad. She's actually good compared to how she was when this all started."

"She lost someone, didn't she?" David asked.

Killian nodded, cringing as unwanted memories surfaced in his mind.

"She wasn't the only one to lose them though."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine," he assured him. "I'm just doing my best to make sure she makes it through all this. I made a promise, you see."

"I get it," David nodded. "It's clear you care about her a lot."

"You have no idea," Killian muttered.

Suddenly a loud thump sounded from the room across the hall, causing them both to freeze.

"What was that?" David whispered.

"I have a pretty good guess," Killian replied, un-holstering his gun and gesturing for him to follow. He poked his head into the hall and looked around before walking over to the door, which was slightly ajar, and resting his hand on it. They didn't hear anymore noises coming from inside, but Killian had his gun at the ready.

"On my count," he whispered to David. "Three…two…"

Before Killian could say 'one', a walker came bursting from the room. It reached for him, causing him to jump back and bump into David. David stumbled back into the supply closet while Killian was knocked into a wall, the impact causing him to drop his gun. The walker was on him in seconds. It grabbed his left arm while he reached for the survival knife he had on his belt, but before he could grab it the walker bit down hard on his hand.

Killian screamed in pain as it tore away a large chunk of flesh and chewed it. Blood began to pour from the wound and he used his uninjured hand to shove the walker away. He fell to the ground, cradling his hand as the walker came back for seconds. He reached for his gun but David had already retrieved it and shot the walker square in the head. As soon as it hit the floor David dropped the gun rushed to Killian's side.

"Let me see," David ordered.

Killian slowly turned his hand to reveal the wound.

"It's not pretty, eh?" he laughed through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry, man," David sighed.

Killian nodded and closed his eyes. He knew what was coming next.

"Killian!" he heard Emma's frantic calls, the sound of footsteps growing closer until she appeared at the end of the hall. He saw her freeze as she took in the dead walker, him on the floor, David leaning over him. He could see her putting the pieces together.

"He's been bit," David told her, snapping her out of her dazed state.

"No, no, no, no," she muttered over and over, crouching down next to him and cupping his cheek in her hand. She eyed his wounded hand with tears in her eyes.

"It's okay, Swan," he said comfortingly. "It's going to be okay."

"What should we do?" Mary Margaret, who had come up behind Emma, asked in a barely audible voice.

Emma looked at Killian and closed her eyes.

"Emma," he used his uninjured hand to brush the hair out of her face. "You know what has to be done. You have to kill me."

"No," she shook her head.

"Emma-"

"I am _not_ killing you," she said severely before turning to David and Mary Margaret. "Hold him down."

What?

"Wait, what?" Killian exclaimed.

David and Mary Margaret glanced at each other, unsure.

"Do it now!" Emma yelled, prompting them into action. "Hold him down and keep his left arm steady. David, give me your machete."

Suddenly it clicked for him and he didn't even have a chance to blink before David and Mary Margaret were pinning him to the ground. He saw the machete glinting in the light coming from the window above him as David handed it to Emma.

"No, no, wait!" Killian struggled beneath David and Mary Margaret, but their combined efforts had him completely immobilized. "Emma!"

"I'm sorry," Emma said before bringing the machete down on his left wrist in one swift movement.

The pain was ten times worse than when he'd been bit causing him to let loose an agonized scream. He screamed until he began to see stars and his vision grew splotchy, the pain overwhelming him.

"We need to stop the bleeding," he heard Emma say over his screams, her voice coarse.

David said something in response but Killian couldn't hear him. Their voices became muted as darkness overcame him and he quickly lost consciousness.

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><p><strong>Reviews? I'd appreciate them.<strong>


	2. Part 2

**Hey guys! Sorry this is so late but I finally finished it! I'm going to post two more parts to this instead so I hope I'll be able to update sooner next time! Thank you for your patience, and enjoy :)**

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><p>"So what exactly are we looking for?" Mary Margaret asked as they combed through shelves that were mostly empty, much to Emma's dismay.<p>

"I have a list," she told her, holding up the crumpled piece of paper. "We have a doctor back at camp that wrote down everything we need."

"You have a doctor?" Mary Margaret asked excitedly.

"Yep, PhD and all, or so he says," Emma replied. "We can't exactly pull up his records and confirm it, but he seems to know what he's doing."

"Do you think he has any experience delivering babies?" Mary Margaret continued.

Emma closed her eyes and sighed.

"I have no idea, and honestly it might not even matter."

"What do you mean?" Mary Margaret's eyes widened in confusion.

"Look, I'm going to be blunt with you. I don't make the decisions at our camp. I'm not in charge, which means I have no idea if you two will even be allowed to stay. So, take my advice and don't get too attached to the idea of staying."

Emma turned and continued searching the shelves while Mary Margaret trailed behind her quietly. Finally they came upon a much better stocked shelf of pills and liquid medicines.

"Jackpot," Emma breathed as she took down a couple bottles of Advil. "Start grabbing any pain relievers you can find. Advil, Tylenol, Motrin, Nuprin, whatever is here. I'm going to start looking for cough medicine and decongestants."

Mary Margaret nodded and began gathering more bottles while Emma moved on. She very quickly found what she was looking for and had begun to grab everything she could fin (which wasn't much) when she heard a faint crashing sound coming somewhere from within the clinic.

"Mary Margaret?" she called out, heading back to where she'd left her.

"Did you hear that?" Mary Margaret asked once Emma had rejoined her.

"Yeah," Emma said quietly. "Stay here. I'll go check it out."

"No, I want to come with you!" Mary Margaret insisted.

Emma opened her mouth to argue with her but was cut off by a loud, painful yell that made them both take off running. An impending feeling of dread entered her mind as she ran back through the waiting room of the clinic and towards the hall she'd sent Killian and David down. She jumped when the sound of a gunshot echoed through the building and began running faster.

"Killian!" she called out as they grew closer. They rounded the corner and stopped dead when they saw a walker dead in the middle of the hall with Killian on the ground propped up against the wall.

Emma swore her heart stopped beating for a moment.

"He's been bit," David said to them over his shoulder.

Suddenly Emma felt like she could move again and immediately rushed to Killian's side.

"No, no, no, no," she quietly muttered over and over again. Killian looked at her with an almost apologetic look as she reached up and cupped his face. She glanced at the bite wound on his left hand, internally cringing when she noticed the large chunk of flesh missing.

"It's okay, Swan," Killian said softly. "It's going to be okay."

Emma's vision blurred and she finally felt the warmth of tears in her eyes because it was absolutely _not_ going to be okay. He had been bit. He was infected and there was no cure. She couldn't save him. She would have to kill him and the mere thought of that was unbearable. He was the only person she had left in the world. She couldn't lose him.

"What should we do?" Mary Margaret asked quietly from behind her.

Emma closed her eyes and thought desperately for a way to save him.

"Emma," Killian whispered her name as he brushed a strand of hair from her face. "You know what has to be done. You have to kill me."

"No," she shook her head. She wouldn't do it. She would figure out a way to save him.

"Emma-"

"I'm _not_ killing you," she said as an idea popped into her mind. She'd heard about someone getting bit on their leg once and that they had amputated it quickly enough so the infection hadn't entered the bloodstream. Emma caught eye of David's machete and knew she needed to move fast. She turned to Mary Margaret and David who were watching them helplessly and gave them a determined look. "Hold him down."

"Wait, what?" Killian said in confusion.

Emma ignored him and grew irritated when David and Mary Margaret remained frozen where they were.

"Do it now!" she yelled. "Hold him down and keep his left arm steady."

They jumped and did as she asked, grabbing Killian and holding him to the floor. David put all his wait on his arm to prevent it from moving while Mary Margaret carefully placed her knee on his chest.

"David, give me your machete," Emma demanded. He handed it to her obediently and she could see the realization register in Killian's eyes as she aimed the blade at his left wrist.

"No, no, wait!" he exclaimed, fighting against David and Mary Margaret's grip. "Emma!"

She flinched at the desperation in his voice, but this was her only chance at saving him.

"I'm sorry," she told him before gathering all her courage and bringing the machete down hard on his wrist.

Killian's screams were almost too much for her to bear. She had to force herself to look down at his mutilated arm and felt her stomach flip at the sight of his severed hand. The machete slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground as blood poured from his new wound.

"We have to stop the bleeding," Emma said robotically over Killian's agonized shouts.

"We found a bunch of gauze and bandages," David told her, pointing to his bag which he'd dropped on the ground in front of the supply closet.

Emma snatched the bag off the floor and dug through it, pulling out multiple packages of gauze and bandages.

"Here," she tossed them to Mary Margaret before ripping off her shirt, leaving her in just her dirty white tank top. "Open those while I cut off the circulation."

She took her shirt and ripped a thin stripped off of it, tying it tightly around Killian's forearm. She glanced at his face and realized that he was no longer screaming and had fallen unconscious. He was losing too much blood.

"Mary Margaret, I need those bandages," Emma said, panic seeping into her voice. She grabbed Killian's injured arm and lifted it so that it was raised above his heart.

"Here," Mary Margaret handed her a bandage. She took it and pressed it firmly against his wound, holding it there until the blood had seeped through it. At that point Emma held out her hand towards Mary Margaret. "I need another one."

She pressed the new bandage on top of the old one and waited, feeling slightly relieved when the bleeding began to slow down slightly.

"David, come hold his arm," Emma ordered.

David did as she asked and as soon as her hands were free she crouched down and pressed her fingers to Killian's neck, sighing in relief when she felt his pulse. It wasn't as strong as it should be, but it was there which meant he was alive and that was enough for now.

"We need to get him back to camp," she said as she got to her feet.

"We'll have to find a way to carry him," Mary Margaret replied.

"No, carrying him back will take way too long," Emma shook her head. "We're going to need a ride."

"I saw an ambulance on our way in," David informed them. "But I doubt there are any keys in it given that it's still here."

"Leave that to me," Emma told him. "Wait here with him."

"Wait, one of us should go with you," Mary Margaret said as she turned to leave.

"No, stay here and take care of him," Emma ordered before pulling out her gun and running down the hall. She stopped at the front doors of the clinic and checked to make sure the coast was clear before continuing outside. She saw where the ambulance David had spoken of was parked and made a dash for it, climbing inside and setting to work as soon as she reached it.

She pulled a screwdriver from her bag along with a rock and jammed the screwdriver into the key ignition. She was about to turn it when she heard something just outside the ambulance. Emma grabbed her gun and aimed at the door, expecting to find a walker but instead scared the living daylights out of Mary Margaret.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma exclaimed, lowering her gun.

"I thought you might need someone to cover you while you got the ambulance started," she told her, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm fine," Emma said, turning back to her work. "You _should_ be inside watching David's back while he takes care of Killian."

"David agreed I'd be more useful out here," Mary Margaret replied as she climbed into the ambulance next to her.

"Well, I'm almost done here," Emma snapped as she turned the screwdriver.

The engine began to come to life but sputtered before fully igniting. She tried again but ended up with the same results.

"Dammit," she muttered as she tried again and again and again…

"I don't think it's going to work," Mary Margaret said apologetically.

"No, it has to," Emma told her, turning the screwdriver again. This time, when the engine coughed and died, she felt tears in her eyes and she let her face fall forward until her forehead hit the steering wheel.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret said cautiously.

"I don't know what to do," Emma cried softly. "He's all I have left, I can't lose him too."

"Hey, you've been doing everything you can. Don't give up yet," Mary Margaret said encouragingly. "Maybe there's something wrong under the hood?"

"I only know how to hotwire a car. I don't know how to fix one, much less and ambulance," Emma told her, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes.

"Pop the hood, I'll take a look," Mary Margaret said as she hopped out of the ambulance.

Emma paused in confusion before pressing the button to open the hood and watching the small, petite woman walk around to the front of the ambulance. She waited a few moments then heard Mary Margaret call out to her.

"I think I see the problem! Try it now!"

Emma turned the screwdriver and this time the engine roared to life. A grin broke out across her face as her heart skipped a beat in relief. Mary Margaret came back around and climbed back into the ambulance, a triumphant smirk on her face.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Emma asked.

"David taught me," she shrugged. "Now come on, we need to go get them."

Emma nodded and shifted the ambulance into gear, pulling up to the front of the clinic and backing it up to the front door.

"Do you think there's a stretcher in the back?" Mary Margaret asked as she jumped out of the ambulance.

"There's only one way to find out," Emma replied, throwing the back doors open and smiling a little when there was indeed a stretcher inside. She and Mary Margaret pulled it out and carried it inside, running to where they'd left Killian and David.

"There you two are," David said in relief when he saw them.

"How is he?" Emma asked, dropping her end of the stretcher and crouching down next to Killian. She checked his pulse again but it didn't feel any stronger than before.

"It's hard to say," David told her. "He's losing a lot of blood though. If you have a doctor at your camp, we need to get him to them fast."

"Let's not waste any time then," she said determinedly. "David, I'm going to need your help lifting him. Mary Margaret, hold his arm up while we get him on the stretcher."

David handed off Killian's arm to Mary Margaret while Emma got a good hold on his torso. David grabbed his legs and on the count of three they lifted him and gently placed him on the stretcher.

"Keep his arm up," Emma ordered as she and David each picked up an end of the stretcher and began carrying it towards the front of the clinic.

As soon as they reached the ambulance and had gotten Killian safely inside Emma and David went back in for the medicine and medical supplies they'd collected while Mary Margaret stayed with Killian.

"Do you want me to drive so you can sit in the back?" David offered once they'd returned.

"No. I can get us back to camp fastest since I already know where it is. It'd be easier than trying to give you directions," Emma told him.

He nodded before they both climbed into the ambulance and went on their way. Emma went as fast as she could in the small down but found herself slowing often due to debris in the road and a couple sharp turns. The sound of the engine attracted quite a few walkers that had been residing in the abandoned buildings they'd passed earlier. Emma did her best to avoid them and eventually managed to make it out of town. As soon as she hit the main road she accelerated considerably.

"How far out are we?" David asked.

"At this rate," she replied, taking not of their speed which was 85 miles per hour, "we should get there in ten minutes or so. We've got to take the long way around to the front gate since we're driving."

"Is there another entrance?"

"Yeah, there's a side entrance that lets out into the woods. You take a path to the main road if you're walking somewhere. It lets you out a couple miles up the road, which is pretty helpful because it takes less time," she explained. "Unfortunately, we're going to need to drive in."

"You must have a pretty big camp. How many do you have there?" David asked.

Emma eyed him suspiciously, not feeling very comfortable informing him of the exact size of their camp. She still didn't know if she could trust him and Mary Margaret. They seemed nice but it could be an act. They could be gathering information about the camp so they could go back to their own group and plot to overtake them. By post-apocalypse standards, Emma would say that they had it pretty good, but that didn't mean it couldn't be taken from them if a big enough group came along. Bringing them back in the first place was risky and she knew she was going to catch hell from Regina when she found out, but they were Killian's only hope and she wasn't about to let him die.

"Sorry, I'm only trying to make small talk," David told her when she didn't answer him.

"I appreciate it, but it's not necessary. We're almost there," Emma said as she turned onto a side road. It wasn't long before the gate of the camp came into view.

"Wow," David breathed when he saw the impressive wall that marked the boundaries of the camp. "This is incredible."

"It used to be a gated community," Emma told him. "Only about a fourth of it is cleared out though. We had to block off the rest of it."

By now they were nearing the gate and she noticed David shift uncomfortably. His gaze was trained on the four people they had guarding the gate, more specifically on their guns.

"Are they, uh, gonna have a problem with us?"

"They won't shoot you as long as you're not a threat," she promised, stopping the ambulance just in front of the gate and sticking her head out of the window.

"Emma?" she heard Ruby's voice from behind the gate.

"Open the gate, Killian's been bit!" Emma shouted at her.

Ruby and the three other guards, one of which she recognized to be Graham, quickly moved to open the gate and allowed Emma to move the ambulance within the walls of the camp.

She parked just inside next to a line of other cars they had acquired over time that were parked along the wall. There was no driving allowed within the camp because the roads weren't clear enough, so they would have to carry Killian to the makeshift infirmary they'd set up in one of the houses.

Emma jumped out of the ambulance, not bothering to shut it off, and ran around to the back, throwing the doors open. She climbed in and kneeled down next to Killian, who was still unconscious and looking incredibly pale.

"How is he?" Emma asked Mary Margaret.

"Still breathing," she told her, "but the bleeding still hasn't stopped. I've been doing the best I can."

"We need to move him now," Emma said before shoving the stretcher towards David, who had gotten out and was now standing at the opening in the back of the ambulance. She and David took hold of both sides while Mary Margaret continued to hold his arm up as they began carrying him down the road.

"Emma!" Ruby called as she ran up alongside them. Her eyes fell on Killian and she gasped, her steps faltering. "Oh God, what happened?"

"Ruby, go back to the ambulance and grab the bags of medical supplies that are in the back. There's four of them. Get them and bring them back as fast as you can, got it?" Emma ordered.

"Okay," Ruby nodded, eyeing David and Mary Margaret suspiciously before running back the way they'd come.

"We're taking him to that house there," Emma said, pointing at a large, brick house ahead of them. She quickened her pace as they began to near it and nearly bust down in her haste.

"Whale!" she exclaimed, setting Killian down in the middle of the front hall. "Whale, where are you!"

"Will you keep it down, we have sick people resting in here," the doctor said as he descended from the stairs. He froze when he noticed Killian bleeding on the floor. "What the hell happened to him?"

"He was bit," she explained. "You have to help him."

Dr. Whale pressed his lips together into a thin line as he walked the rest of the way down the stairs.

"Emma, if he's been bit, then I'm afraid there's very little I can do. You know that," he said gently.

"No," she shook her head. "He was bit on his hand, I amputated it soon after. There's a chance the infection didn't spread."

"You _amputated _his hand?" Whale's eyes grew wide as he moved towards Killian and a got a look at his left arm.

"He's lost a lot of blood, now can you help him or not?" Emma asked desperately.

"I can try and stop the bleeding, but I don't know if he'll make it. He may have lost too much blood already, or the infection could have spread before you managed to amputate his hand."

"Just do what you can, please," she begged.

"I will," he promised. "We should move him."

"Emma!" Ruby suddenly burst through the door carrying four bags. "I got the supplies."

"Great, follow us," Emma said as she went to lift Killian again.

"Wait, Emma, Regina is on her way. She'll be here any-"

"Miss Swan!" a strong, commanding voice suddenly sounded from behind them.

Emma froze as a feeling of dread settled in her stomach and she slowly turned to find Regina standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

"Miss Swan, I'd like a word with you outside."

"Regina, can't it wait? Killian is hurt I need to help-"

"There are plenty of people to take care of Mr. Jones. I'd like a word _now_," Regina demanded as she turned to leave. "And please, bring your new friends."

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose and watched as Ruby, Whale, and one of Whale's assistants lifted Killian off the floor and carried him down the hall towards the kitchen. She wanted nothing more than to go with them, to make sure that Killian was okay, but she knew there was nothing she could do for him now. Now she had to deal with Regina and the consequences of saving Killian's life.

Emma turned to look at David and Mary Margaret and saw that they were looking to her for instruction.

"C'mon," she sighed before heading towards the door. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so freakin sorry this took so long! I meant to have it up a loooong time ago but I didn't have time and I had to put it off. So I'm super sorry about that but it couldn't be helped. For those who came back and read this despite me taking forever to update thank you and I hope you come back for the last two parts (yeah, I decided to do two more after this instead of one more because I've got too much shit I want to get into and I think it's going to be good!). Thanks for reading and I really hope you leave me some feedback!<strong>


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